Company of Opposites

Presentation

Founded in Paris in 1991 by director Neusa Thomasi , Compagnie des Contraires has been developing an original project at the crossroads of circus arts, theatre, community education, and social action for over thirty years. After being based in Chanteloup-les-Vignes for nearly three decades, the company now continues its activities in Limay , in the Yvelines department, where it is developing its social circus school and its various artistic and educational projects.

Accredited by the FFEC, Compagnie des Contraires champions a vision of circus arts in which artistic learning goes far beyond simply acquiring techniques. Practice becomes a means of developing self-confidence , autonomy , creativity , concentration , perseverance , and cooperation , as well as facilitating access to culture for people who are sometimes distanced from it.

The artistic dimension is inseparable from this technical training. Theatre, acting, physical expression, and stagecraft play a significant role in the company's project. Participants are encouraged to invent, develop their imagination, create characters, and progressively transform their circus skills into artistic expressions. This approach allows them to work on physical abilities, stage presence, interpersonal skills, and the ability to express themselves in front of an audience.

The Compagnie des Contraires particularly emphasizes its identity as a social circus school. Its goal is to make artistic practices accessible to as many people as possible, with a special focus on children and teenagers from underprivileged neighborhoods and those who rarely attend traditional cultural events. Circus thus becomes a tool for connection, education, and empowerment, allowing everyone to find a discipline in which to grow and develop their potential.

The association also develops numerous programs for schools. These projects may combine introductory circus arts workshops, theatrical expression, physical work, and collaborative creation. Depending on the educational objectives, they can take the form of one-off workshops or longer programs culminating in an artistic presentation. These initiatives fully contribute to arts and cultural education and allow children to discover the performing arts through hands-on experience.

Adapted circus arts and welcoming people with disabilities are also important components of the project. Activities can be tailored to the abilities and needs of participants to develop motor skills, coordination, confidence, independence, communication, and the joy of working together. This inclusive approach is a natural extension of the company's philosophy of social circus.

The Compagnie des Contraires also uses live performance as a tool for prevention and awareness-raising. Through forum theatre, image theatre, debate theatre, and various interactive formats, it addresses social, educational, and health issues. The performance then becomes a starting point for encouraging open discussion, comparing viewpoints, and allowing participants to collectively reflect on situations they encounter in their daily lives.

Professional artistic creation remains central to the organization's identity. The company conceives and produces shows that regularly blend theatre, circus, aerial disciplines, acrobatics, juggling, and clowning. This close connection between professional creation and teaching allows participants to discover circus arts not only as a leisure activity, but as a genuine contemporary artistic language.

The company is also behind the Sillon d'Art festival, created in 2017 to promote access to culture and foster encounters between residents and artists. Circus, street arts, and urban cultures find a space for performance and sharing there, continuing the community outreach work carried out throughout the year.

Its project also has an international dimension. The Compagnie des Contraires has developed various artistic and educational exchanges with foreign partners, notably in:

• Germany
• Poland
• Senegal
• South Africa

Now based in Limay, the Compagnie des Contraires continues this approach by combining social circus, amateur practice, adapted circus, theatre, school programs, prevention, and artistic creation. Its project thus goes far beyond the framework of a traditional circus school: circus techniques become tools for expression and connection, allowing everyone to progress, gain confidence, develop their imagination, and participate in a collective adventure.